VANCOUVER, British Columbia, June 26, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The leadership of Indigenous peoples in bringing Canadian liquefied natural gas (LNG) to global markets will be centre stage at LNG2023, the preeminent meeting of the international LNG industry, July 10 – 13, 2023 in Vancouver, B.C.
Indigenous partnerships with industry will be highlighted at the conference’s spotlight session “Reconciliation and Canadian LNG: Indigenous Energy Leadership on the World Stage.” The panel will include Chief Crystal Smith of the Haisla Nation, which is the majority owner of Cedar LNG, an export facility to be built on the traditional Haisla territories in Kitimat, British Columbia.
In March 2023, the precedent-setting Cedar LNG project became Canada’s first Indigenous majority-owned LNG facility to be given the green light by both the provincial and federal governments. It will leverage Canada’s abundant natural gas supply and British Columbia’s growing LNG infrastructure to produce low-carbon LNG for Asia-Pacific markets.
Smith is also Chair of the First Nations LNG Alliance, a collective of First Nations who support and participate in sustainable LNG development. She will be joined by Chief Sharleen Gale of Fort Nelson First Nation and Chair of the First Nations Major Projects Coalition, a national 130-plus Indigenous nation collective working to enhance the economic well-being of its members by helping them participate in major projects, many of which involve LNG.
Christine Kennedy, President of Woodfibre LNG, and Roger Dall’Antonia, President & CEO of FortisBC, will also participate. The Woodfibre LNG export facility will be on the site of a historic Squamish Nation fishing village. FortisBC will construct the 50 km pipeline supporting the facility. Both projects are subject to the Squamish Nation’s environmental assessment process, the first legally binding Indigenous-led environmental assessment of a project in Canada.
The panelists will discuss different aspects of partnership and what has been learned through the process of developing these projects.
Many other Indigenous leaders whose communities participate in and benefit from LNG production—upstream, midstream, and downstream—are also expected to attend the conference.
Shannon Joseph, Chair of Energy for a Secure Future, notes that Canada has a significant opportunity to set the benchmark for both Indigenous economic reconciliation and the production and export of low-emission LNG.
“Canada has some of the highest environmental standards in the world, and we can help both established and emerging economies in transitioning from coal to low-emission LNG,” says Joseph. “Additionally, we can support Indigenous economic reconciliation and foster the long-term prosperity of Indigenous peoples and of our country.”
She added: “Indigenous leaders are travelling to this international event because they have important stories to share about their participation and leadership in the energy sector, and the ways LNG can create inter-generational expertise and wealth for their communities.”
LNG2023 is presented by the International Gas Union (IGU), GTI Energy, and the International Institute of Refrigeration (IIR). It is hosted by the Canadian Gas Association (CGA), and supported by incoming LNG2026 host, QatarEnergy and Principal Sponsor Chevron. For information or tickets visit www.lng2023.org
Contact:
Tracy Jager
lng2023@headwatersgroup.ca
+1 604 356 9968